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I am a PS3 owner and someday hope to be a PS4 owner, yet I am not at all dissatisfied with my choice to delay purchase, solely based on the current PS4 library. When I transitioned from a Playstation 1 to a Playstation 2, I was pleasantly surprised that I could for the most part rid myself of my PS1...

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Playing to achieve, complete, or enjoy?Posted on Tuesday, March 4 2014 @ 16:38:29 Eastern

I read the article, “Gamer Earns 500 Platinum Trophies, Makes a Real-life Platinum Trophy” and it reminded me of Ryan Bates piece, an “Irrational Divide” and a piece by Daniel Bischoff called, “I Got a Top Score in Call of Duty”. What the three pieces had in common for me was the focus of why we play. When you have spent so much of a finite asset (time) on attaining 500 Platinum trophies what really is there to show for it? Some would say nothing…which may be why the gamer (Blackangel887462) chose to create his own “real” achievement. In the comments section of Daniel’s piece Ghost wrote, “Ohh someone wants a cookie…” This speaks to the point of, what exactly do achievements/trophies mean outside of the value the individual places on them.

If Ryan was being accurate with his dates, then I was born just 3 years prior to those plumbers coming on the scene and was able to experience the predecessor of today’s gamer score and worldwide leader boards. Growing up in Philadelphia in the 90’s we didn’t have a washer and dryer so we had to go to the laundromat, which in and of itself was not a very cool ordeal, with one caveat. In my neighborhood the laundromat was also home to our neighborhood leader boards…what? At that time in history we had full blown arcades but you could also find gaming cabinets in most places you would find parents and kids for prolonged periods of time, such as supermarkets and laundromats.

This was the golden age of $.25 videogames. Our leader boards were found on the, “Top Score” screen of games like Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, PacMan, etc…You would hassle your parents for quarter after quarter and most kids didn’t make the Top Score screen either for lack of continues/quarters or skill. It then segmented the kids in the neighborhood between those who could play pretty well and those who made the board (usually teenagers). At that time, the achievement seemed tangible as you could direct your friends to that particular game and show them your accomplishment. It meant something…games were new and it wasn’t about competing against 100s or 1000s just 10-20 kids in the neighborhood which is why to me it seemed a bit more significant back then.

As home consoles became more prevalent, the competition continued but the microcosm of perceived virtual dominance shrank to mostly your friends. Same “Top Score” screen, but the bragging rights were relegated to a sole console. If you wanted your score shown on your buddy’s console you had to beat it at their place on their game. It was a dandy ole time. The variance in types of games increased and the focus of gamers also diversified. Some gamers retained a strong focus on those competitive arcade titles like Killer Instinct, MK, and SF while others found more pleasure in games like DK Country and Super Metroid, etc…The biggest difference was that not everyone was competitive due simply to their nature or choice of games. How competitive can you really get in Super Metroid or DK Country? You could do a speed run but with no YouTube back then who gave a ****?

Now we jump forward to the current scheme of trophies and achievements for all games. You like, “Linger in the Shadows” it has trophies, you like CoD it has achievements. Is the point of both those games to achieve or does one simply seek to be experienced? I understand the motivation to attach trophies and achievements to every game but do they at times diminish the overall experience? It is perceived by some, that since they are not required you could ignore them all together with certain games but does the inclusion of them by design inherently change your behavior pattern? I would argue that the inclusion of trophies and achievements to all games has fundamentally changed how we interact with games as a whole. I don’t think the desire to achieve vs simply complete or enjoy can be attributed solely to a generational gap. The idea that some gamers look at achievements and then to GameFaqs for walkthroughs on their first playthrough doesn’t speak to a difference in perception based on age but rather we have been conditioned as a gaming community to view games very differently than they once were.

I guess the overall point I was trying to elude to in this piece is that regardless of age we are all tempted to some extent to seek out achievements or trophies but shouldn't lose focus on the point of the game which is to entertain and be enjoyed. I guess we may have to deal with the fact that trophies will be included with every new game but sometimes it’s nice to simply ignore the trophies/achievements and walkthroughs to simply enjoy the game for what it provides…an entertaining moment in time. Finally, I would look at “Blackangel887462” and consider that regardless of the girth of your e-penis the value of your video gaming accomplishments are typically relegated to what “you” perceive it to be…even if you are in the top 1% of THE WORLD.

Playstation+ More than Just Free GamesPosted on Friday, January 31 2014 @ 10:16:51 Eastern

This member blog post was promoted to the GameRevolution homepage.

On June 28, 2013, Anthony Severino posted an article quantifying the monetary benefit of a one year subscription to Playstation Plus (PS+). After some basic assumptions and quick math, Anthony assessed that a user for that time period would have received about $1,854.86 in value over the course of the one-year subscription with certain factors considered and as outlined in his analysis. At the time, I was not a PS+ subscriber because one of the fundamental reasons I went from PS2 to PS3 vs. an Xbox 360 was the fact that the online portion was free.

Prior to having read Anthony’s piece, I really hadn’t sat down and considered the value proposition posed by Sony’s PS+ service. I was concerned about having limited hard drive space for all the free games you could download, I also couldn’t see the benefit of free old games which I had already purchased only now to have a redundant digital copy limited to the length of my subscription (we will revisit this), and finally I really have an affinity for the physical games which can be conveniently shared and transported. In all actuality I initially perceived it as just another means of squeezing an extra $50 from gamers each year and to plug the financial performance gap then being realized between Sony and Microsoft. A month or two after reading Anthony’s post, though, I bit the bullet to see the value for myself. That’s how it started…

My first observation after having signed up was that you don’t need a lot of hard drive space for your instant game collection, if you have the time. See, as soon as you start to download a free game it is added to your download list and you can cancel the download if you do not wish to play the game immediately. This gets back to the caveat of having the “time”, as you will need to download and install the game at some point to play it, but you really just want to get it onto your download list before it is taken out of “freebie” rotation. Ohhh…so I don’t need a lot of HD space, alright that’s a plus (sorry, had to do that).

I then figured that I could use the service somewhat against its own design. I realized I had several of the games in the instant collection already in hard copy. Not being the type to trade in games to Gamestop because you simply feel ripped off (I gift great used games vs. selling them as I believe the nominal amount I can get for a trade-in is typically far less than the perceived benefit of giving it to a disadvantaged kid or family member), I was able to find a win-win situation. I could download a game I already had and for me I had a few choices:

(1) I could then trade in the used physical copies during one of the Gamestop sales where you get bonuses for trading in “x” amount of used games together;
(2) I could do the feel good thing and donate my physical copy to a good person or cause; or
(3) just do the chill thing and give some of my best buddies copies of games like Borderlands 2 which we can now play together (I won’t digress during this piece but for some reason I always get a poor match with my buddy I gave this game to… so in that particular case it was a little bit of a waste but they still really like the game).

Aside from the initial monetary benefits outlined in Anthony’s piece, I had now identified yet another added value if you bundle and resell physical redundant copies. This was an added monetary value but next we move into a very innovative marketing mechanism. When I had signed up for PS+, my focus was on free games associated with PS3 as I did not and still currently don’t own a PSP or PS Vita (Vita). In short order, I realized that you could download free Vita titles offered with the subscription and cancel the download for play at a later date on a Vita. This is where it gets interesting and the value proposition goes beyond the free games.

I never contemplated buying a Vita as I rarely have time available to use it. I drive to and from work and when at home, I play my PS3. At a younger age, the Vita may have been my bread and butter but currently my routine doesn’t really allow time for it. My initial assumption regarding the purchase of a handheld was that the purchase proposition between the Vita and 3DS is on a level playing field, meaning that I would have to buy the core system, peripherals, memory, and last but not least, games. For PS+ subscribers the value proposition is very different in that, if I were to go to the store to pick out a handheld for me or my kid (if I had one), the 3DS may have the market cornered but I am going to be telling the kid, "Look dude, for about the same price you are getting the Vita plus since I have had PS+ for a while and been downloading free Vita titles you start with about 10-20 games (Free!!)".

To hell with a launch lineup, give me an instant free game collection. I don’t really care how well the 3DS is doing if I can purchase its competitor with 10-20 free games with a relatively comparable system. Pair that with the fact that as a kid I lost or broke several Gameboys, which sometimes had games in them or with them, you begin to see the benefit to the parents. At least I can salvage the digital collection regardless of how irresponsible my kid may be with this damn expensive toy I chose to buy vs. sending them outside with a slingshot and some cherries.

Months later the PS4 is released and I have downloaded my first 2 free PS4 games Resogun and Don’t Starve, yet I don’t have a PS4. I continue to download Vita games in anticipation of a console bundle purchase probably in the first quarter of 2015. You hear the BTSs of the world talking about the launch lineup and exclusivity, but when I look at the current marketing strategies and realize that each month Sony is strengthening their consoles' value proposition with its current fan base, I see many ways in which Microsoft can strengthen their own campaign and further secure their fan base. In 2015, I won’t be posed with the choice of Xbox1 or PS4 like some, but rather as a continued supporter of a Sony product my value proposition will be Core System + Game Bundle (Xbox1 Bundle) vs Core System + Game Bundle + Instant Collection 3-6 games (if not more) (PS4 Bundle), or better yet for me 2 Core Systems + Possible Game Bundle + 2 Instant Collections with 20+ games combined (PS4/Vita Bundle).

I think Microsoft is picking up what is being put down as they started in the second half of last year their program titled, “Games with Gold” and hopefully they continue to flesh out that program. As it sits now I have and continue to be offered free games for 4+ systems (243 individual offerings per wiki) with one subscription while “Games with Gold” has about 15 games currently in its collection.

Launch line-p, native resolution, and refresh rate has garnered much of the next-gen attention, but for those looking to buy a next gen console in the coming year(s), it would be prudent to keep in mind the comprehensive value proposition offered by both companies.

The opinions expressed here does not necessarily reflect the views of Game Revolution, but we believe it's worthy of being featured on our site. This article, posted originally on January 28, 2014, has been lightly edited for grammar and image inclusion. You can find more Vox Pop articles here. ~Ed. Nick Tan

As the holiday season is upon us I am reminded of Santa Claus making a list and checking it twice, because he knows who is naughty and who is nice. Santa’s a damn spy and I don’t want a plump, old dude of no relation to my children checking on them throughout the year. I’ll buy their presents myself! So who has been actually watching us all year? Some would say the U.S. Government and others would agree, but what does that mean to me? Is the U.S. Government as innocuous as Santa Claus?

As the media continues to cover information released by Edward Snowden, one of my favorite pastimes, video games, has been brought into the fray. Specifically, it is now believed that the U.S. amongst other governments has been spying on online communities. As a multi-billion dollar industry with a multi-million participant user group, I could see this as a possibility. So what does that mean? Am I going to be playing Diablo 3 with Tingzor and bang, boom, pow…real-life Counter-Strike is going to unfold in my living room? Possibly, yet realistically it’s highly improbable. But the government has been snooping on me…they gotta stop this or else…?

It was interesting to see how up in arms people get about the “Government” collecting information on them when we volunteer information on a regular basis, the scope of which is relatively unknown due to the enigmatic user agreements we enter into every time we use a great deal of today’s technology. Just a few of the routine user agreements I have been graced with agreeing to are as follows:
I-tune/Apple – for my I phone
Google – for my android phone (would you like access to my location too?)
PSN – to play online
EA Origins, Rockstar, Ubisoft, insert publisher of game who requires you to accept their terms before playing their game.
ISP – You get internet but don’t go trying to download stuff off Pirate Bay
Samsung – Android phone but Samsung product, lets add a layer so everyone is covered I suppose
This would equate to just one day's worth of provisions my technological activities are supposedly governed by. Note: If you have ever taken the time to review these agreements side by side you will undoubtedly come across terms which conflict by their very nature. Digging deeper you could actually get into cross referencing the citations and case law referenced in some of them and realize the following: (1) You may not be abiding by all the terms found in the numerous user agreements you have entered into; (2) Not many people sit side by side all of their user agreements to see the inherent conflicts; and (3) If you did the diligence, who would change all of the agreements to conform to you as a specific user?

I use the user agreements as an example of how a legally binding document can be both superfluous and inherently non-sensical when placed into real-world perspective. So, when someone says, “Oh my God, the Government is spying on me!” I have to take it with a grain of salt and say, “Okay, so what have they been doing with it?” with a typical response of, “I don’t know, it just makes me uncomfortable to think someone is watching everything I do." If you were aware of being watched all of your life and nothing directly related to their snooping ever negatively impacted your life, would you still care?

I remember once telling my uncle that I don’t get it. Politicians simply repeat a particular message and people as a group start to believe and be swayed regardless of the accuracy of a statement. Furthermore, why do so many people vote along party lines without researching each candidate? He said something that made perfect sense… ”Nephew, not everyone has the time or acumen to research a particular candidate. Aside from that, there are a lot of people far more focused with attaining their next meal, having a roof over their heads, or just making ends meet, that the government’s activities are to some extent inconsequential to their immediate needs." If you were a poor person the day before the election you will more than likely be a poor person the day after the election. If the government has been collecting data on you this long and has not directly utilized it to reprimand you specifically, then how much impact does it really have now that you are aware?

I get that the argument can be made, then, that the Government can do whatever it wants and we should just be okay with it… nah, not so much. I think simply from an individual perspective that monitoring has relatively little impact on me currently, so I am not up in arms. Of course the practice could be abused, innocent people can become victims, etc… but I grew up in a neighborhood where individuals have and continue to be profiled without ever having been justified by having a federal profile as a reference.

There are many battles to be fought with regard to maintaining civil rights and providing checks on the government but collecting information in an environment where information is ever prevalent and publicly available seems to make sense to me. In an ideal situation we could limit government information collection to only “criminals” while also granting them the ability to anticipate threats without a resource such as “information”. In the real world however, individuals both good and bad as well as public and private entities gather information in order to make informed decisions. The methodology for gathering information in a constantly changing environment is of a dynamic nature so I “get it”. I like my individual perception that at least some of the snooping leads to the prevention of some crimes. I am not saying it is the best way to protect a society, but “best” is relative to the perception at the time. I can rationalize why the action occurred, whether good or bad so in this specific case I just don’t have the desire to be up in arms.

In conclusion, I get more freaked out by what information private companies are gathering on me through the ever prevalent user agreements. It just seems a bit suspicious that I have to agree to the terms of my internet provider, then to Sony to use its network and to update its firmware, then to the publisher of a game, and possibly to a subsidiary who manage something like an EA Origin. When I had a Super Nintendo I don’t even think I knew what an agreement was. Furthermore, the idea that the end users of many of these systems are kids without a legal background seems a bit entertaining to have them waive certain rights with both parties consenting to understanding the agreement entered into…but I guess it falls on the parents to make sure that when the kid turns on the system or inserts a game that they do not agree to any terms or conditions until their folks have had ample time to review said agreement.

Now that I think about it, it would be really cool if a legal firm did a little expo on what have I signed up for: an examination of current user agreements in the video game industry.

The opinions expressed here does not necessarily reflect the views of Game Revolution, but we believe it's worthy of being featured on our site. This article, posted originally on December 10, 2013, has been lightly edited for grammar and image inclusion. You can find more Vox Pop articles here. ~Ed. Nick Tan

I ain’t scared of no ghost! Now clowns on the other hand…Posted on Monday, December 9 2013 @ 16:47:07 Eastern

I recently read an article discussing Shinji Mikami’s (Evil Within) revelation that it is simply getting harder to scare gamers. Sir, I agree! As I roll into my 30’s I have developed a rather tragic condition, called “Fearlessness&r... read more...

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I had a chance to read your review today regarding Full Burst and as a fan of the series I just wanted to play devil’s advocate (aka: pseudo fanboy) for a moment. I am all good with your score but just wanted to ... read more...

The Segregation of Online Communities…it’s only natural.Posted on Wednesday, August 28 2013 @ 16:31:52 Eastern

There has been quite a great deal of discussion regarding the under representation of minority groups in video games and in the industry as a whole. From these discussions, further topics branched off into online bullying/harassment as well as how to... read more...

Well I was going to do a really nice piece last week on the “GaymerX” Convention and had all types of insightful responses to BTS and yet something went terribly awry…or amazing. I received my $14 used copy of X-Com: Enemy ... read more...

With all this “who ha” about next-gen hardware it seems that one fundamental aspect of gaming is being overlooked…the idea that certain game mechanics will be perfected in the next generation. Wait what, “perf... read more...